Hello blog! Sorry I’ve been neglecting you of late. Time for some updates.
Now that the nice weather is here, I’m back out and riding my bike whenever I can. I was a little lax through the winter, with spotty stops by the gym but nothing very consistent. The rainy spring has slowed me down a little, but I’ve been getting out for a ride at least a few times a week, and have even been commuting to work part time. I really needed it in May so I could get my legs back before the 50km Ride For Heart last weekend. Lots of regular rides, and a 21km trip the week before must have done the trick, because the 50km ride went by without a hitch. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to finish slightly ahead of the pace I’d expected. I’ll definitely do it again next year, and have even considered jumping up and trying the 75km ride! I’m also planning to keep throwing in some medium length rides through the summer and fall. Oh yeah, and as this relates to that whole “getting in shape” thing, I’m happy to report that at this point I’ve lost about 30 pounds and 3 pant sizes. I think it’s pretty cool, and recently had someone comment that it’s quite noticeable compared to some of the photos I have on here. Time for some new photos I guess!
Brewing has resumed, but only one brewday at home so far. I’ve still got some stockpiled from the fall though, so the taps haven’t run dry.
In pet news, I’m sad to report that my cat lost her battle with kidney disease in december. It was sad, but I try to look fondly on the nearly 19 years we shared together. I liked that we spent her last few days alone together and that I was there at the end. So many great memories.
After a few months of contemplation, we decided that our other cat was pretty lonely and would perhaps like a new friend. We thought enough time had passed and it would be good to have a new face in the house, so we started looking. Browsing kijiji we found someone who had some kittens, and one in particular caught our attention. tortoise shell, mainly black, with some spots of orange and other light colours. Most notably, what appeared to be an orange mohawk. We went to meet her and were instantly in love. She was a tiny little thing, exactly 8 weeks old when we got her, and a huge scaredy cat. The first few days she spent much of her time hiding under the couches, but slowly ventured out and started exploring. Now she’s an unstoppable force. In typical kitten fashion, she alternates between flying about at 100 miles an hour and sleep. She may be the cutest cat ever…
Hmmm… what else is new? Work is busy as ever. The wife is good. Have enjoyed a bit of travel already in 2011, and I’m sure there will be a few other small trips as the year goes on. Yep, things are pretty good here at casa de Russ.