'Twas Five Days After Christmas And I've Finally Recovered

Christmas this year was strange. For the first time it was just my husband and I. Family was not involved at all except for the exchange of Christmas cards. I thought this would be the greatest Christmas ever since I am not all too fond of the holidays. This year I got my wish, and spent Christmas in a bar among friends ignoring carolers, festivities, and whatnot. I have to say, it was relaxed and glorious. I am not a Grinch. We went to the Golden Christmas candlelight walk. I had Bobaloo go out and get a Christmas tree so I could put decorations on it. The tree eventually lost every single needle on it by Christmas (I am totally not joking and will post video), but I actually like the holidays. I like the way we do them, which is simply. We cut out the excessive craziness and do holiday shit our way. Does this piss our family

off? I think so. On the other hand, maybe they are just disappointed. To make amends for our debauched and often booze soaked holiday we make it a point to send out Christmas cards. Well, actually New Year’s cards because odds are they will not get to people in time for Christmas!

Sending and receiving holiday cards is my favorite seasonal thing to do. I have to admit, Bobaloo and I did great on our card this year. The card we sent out was adorable and it cracked many receivers up. That is good. ‘Tis the season to be jolly so I hear and nobody would disagree that Christmas could always use more cowbell!

We received many cards this year. Some were hilarious, some were spiritual, some had family photos, and some (my favorite) were very sparkly. What was interesting this year is a couple of people found old photographs from when I was a child and sent them with their cards. It was neat to see the little me. The little girl who loved Christmas more than anyone did. A tiny youngster who loved decorating the tree and setting up the cherished nativity scene on the coffee table. A teensy child who would totally roll her eyes at the dispirited, skeptical, grownup me. Seriously, seven year old me would die if she knew I did not go sledding and ice skating every day.

I feel strange these days, a little disenchanted. As if I have one of my feet where I was “before,” and the other foot where I should be. I have always been a late bloomer so maybe it is my time to have reservations about the question marks in my life. When I was younger if I was upset over nothing my mom referred to it as having “growing pains.” Maybe what I am experiencing are some behind schedule “becoming a grownup pains.”

On a lighter note, many things made this yuletide merry and since it ‘tis the season to be jolly here are a few:

Homemade Tom and Jerry Mix http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tom-and-Jerry/Detail.aspx A patient and splendid husband to drink aforementioned Tom and Jerry drinks with A homemade mountain dulcimer made by a dear friend (Picture Later)

Last but not least, an Auntie to remind me that not only is it acceptable to build snow-camels instead of snowmen. It is greatly encouraged.

Not So Golden Slumbers

On sleep. Lately, my anxiety has been causing a severe lack of sleep. I had a reaction to medication that caused a maniacal insomnia the other night. It was scary and I cannot remember a time when I thought I was so crazy and absurd. I mean, totally nuts. I was awake for twenty-one hours and was in a fervent frenzy. My mind was racing a mile a minute and there were various inconsequential tasks, which I found myself completely obsessed. My husband and I had a chat about the bizarre sleep patterns yesterday. He commented on how there was a time before all of “this” that I was the best sleeper on the face of the planet. Seriously, anytime and anywhere. I could have been a professional napper. A Sunday afternoon consisted of a nap from three in the afternoon until seven at night, wake up, eat dinner, and go back to bed for another nine hours. Was this healthy? I do not know. I do know it was a very peaceful, undisturbed sleep; I referred to it as my “meditation.” For the last few weeks, sleep has been uneasy, strained, and scarce. I am incredibly exhausted and agitated. I have tried taking medicine, deep breaths, and tea to no avail. The moment my eyes close, random and outlandish images flicker in my brain. These vivid brain slideshows throw me into a very panicked, flustered, and unreasonable person. This is at what time the chest pains, tears, and irrational thoughts begin. I never knew falling asleep could be so draining. What I wouldn’t give for some belated sugarplum visions to dance in my head, whilst being all nestled and snug in my bed. Tonight, I plan to gather a desk lamp, a tedious textbook, and attempt to bore myself into a tranquil an effortless slumber.

A Stomp in the Woods

Adventures.

I have been with my husband for six years. Our adventures, well misadventures rather, keep us happy. That can be said about them. I find the fact that Bobaloo is willing to go along and/or initiate these expeditions shows what a great guy he is.  Perhaps our fateful excursions are due to our ability to jump into new interests wholeheartedly and undaunted.

Okay, maybe a little daunted. All right, a lot daunted.

We tend make up for our ill-advised adventures with an ample amount of enthusiasm. Yep, a ton of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm up the wazoo. 

This Christmas made for another expedition which was brought on by a thoughtful gift of snowshoes from my parents.
 

To celebrate the holiday we thought it would be fun to take Friday off of work and go up to Eldora Ski Area's snowshoe trails. We gathered all of our scattered snow gear and left in the morning. I am pretty sure we were supposed to stretch first. In fact, really sure we should have stretched first. Instead, we stopped at the 7-11 and bought donuts. I heard that you burn 400 calories an hour while stomping around in the snow and figured, what the hell? Go nuts with a sour cream donut washed down with a cappuccino. Mistake number one. We should have stretched. We also should have quit smoking like, a hundred years ago. 

When I wasn't sleeping in the passenger seat, the way to the mountains was pretty. Alas! We arrived and found our way to the Nordic Center. Okay. We don't learn to snowshoe 
at a park or something, we go to a freakin' ski hill to stomp around. We paid $14 a piece to be in exquisite pain. We hooked the pain passes to our jackets, went to the car and strapped on our gear. We had a map and followed little orange triangles for an hour and a half. The hour and half was like a wintry hinterland. Beautiful pine trees, perfect tiny snow flakes, frozen ponds, virgin snow, the whole works. Snowshoeing was like walking, but more fun. After the blissful hour and a half we headed back to the car to regroup. This is where we made the fateful mistake of not knowing when we've had enough. Our proverbial "overdoing it."

We decided we would do another short loop to get our full money's worth. To grasp the entire experience. Oops. The loop was gigantic. Really, really gigantic. 

There are times when I partake in activities where
I know I will be sore the next day. The second loop was the part of the day when my limbs began throbbing
in pain while stomping around. Ow. Seriously. Ow.   The worst part is knowing that this misery is only going to get worse in the next 24 hours.
 

After an awkward, yet entertaining face-plant by me and some confusion about where the heck we were we eventually made it out. It was not pretty. Bobaloo was a trooper. I was pathetic and my pace was dragging due to conflicting feelings of numbness and pain from the waist down. The only thing that kept me going was the bar at the end of the parking lot. Way at the other end of the parking lot. The other end of the parking lot and up 2 flights of stairs. Ow. There was not enough spiced rum to alleviate the agony and it was snowy so we decided to go home after a couple of cocktails. Here are the lessons learned:

1. Have the cocktails before and during the trek.
2. Stretch.
3. Stick to one trail loop.  Not two.  Never two.
4. You have to take the stopper-things off of your Nordic poles for them to work.
5. Like wallpapering and setting up a tent, a snowshoeing trek can test a relationship.
6. Don't forget the map in your car during a break.
7. Just because you have Scandinavian genes, doesn't mean you'll take to "Nordic" sports.
8. Always. Follow. The. Orange. Triangles.

Let's get ready to rum ball!

Get it? Rum ball = Rumble. Well, this seems as good of a way to start a blog as any. Merry Christmas.