Feeling Great

Well there is so much to write about this morning! Layoffs, workout videos, a fabulous morning workout with the husband and some pretty amazing food! p.s. sorry in advance for the long post today.

Let's start with the layoffs. Remember when I was all uber stressed out that I might lose my job? Well, the drama continues. It has not gone away by a long shot. If anything, it has gotten worse at work. Bumping is still happening all throughout the agency. Rumours as to people being bumped are being spread a week before those people have been given their notice. And these rumours people have all turned out to be true so far. Monday 2 of our 3 full time workers were given their notice and their options (accept layoff and take Employment Insurance or bump someone with less seniority). They opted to bump. Well the union president told them both, individually of course, that they might not even be able to bump down from their full time position into a part time one (our part time list is 16 people with 5 casuals). They were told that there is 16-20 people bumping all throughout the agency and ultimately our department is the bottom of the barrel so those other people might take the positions our full timers are looking to bump down to.

So what does this all mean for me? Well if this is all true and this is how it plays out. I am part time, part of the 16 part time staff. That would mean if the full timers who are 1 and 3 above me in seniority can't get a part time spot, logically that would mean I'd lose my spot as a part timer.

How am I dealing? Well I am far beyond worried stressed anymore. I am annoyed stressed. This whole process has been going on already from start (where they announced they would be making cuts) to now, has been 3.5 months. And the layoff/bumping is still going on, and could be until May 18th.

Ugh whatever, I'm so over it, I wish I could just be told one way or another right here and now what my fate is going to be. I'm sick and tired of them stinging us along and it taking over my life.

Breath!

Yesterday's mid afternoon snack I shovelled into my mouth so fast I don't even remember what it tasted like. I thought I had a meeting right at 4pm, leaving me with mear minutes to eat. Turns out I didn't have a meeting until 4:30. Well at least I could relax as I digested a little. lol

1 serving of Liberte Greek plane yogurt, 1/3cup of all bran buds and 1 tbsp crasins.

I was anxious to have dinner. A repeat salad from the other day, which apparently I didn't share with you, so here it is today! This is where I used me homemade red wine raspberry vinaigrette I walked about here.

• 2-3 cups baby spinach
• 4 large (honkin') strawberries (1/8thed)
• 6-12 raspberries
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/8 avocado
• 1 tbsp of cashews, slivered almonds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, Pumpkin & sunflower seed
• 5 halves walnuts

I truly love fruits and nuts in my salads.

I also ate a grapefruit after my salad. I sneaked out of work 10 minutes early as I wanted to check out WalMart for . . . . . Some Jillian Michaels. I've been hearing a lot about her 30 day shred, so I did some research and messaged some people who had or are doing it. I was sold based on their feedback. But after 2 WalMarts and no luck, I headed to Future Shop. There I found 1 30 day shred.

Now I was looking for two. One for me and one for my girlfriend MJ. No luck finding the second, but I did find this,

[Source]

I thought well I could 'share' and by share I don't mean take turns with the DVD ;-) the two between us. And for 9.99$ each, you can't go wrong. [Source]

So MJ is going to start her shred Saturday May 1st. I work from 9am-11pm so I haven't decided when I will start mine. Maybe May 2nd-May 31 (that's 30 days). Yup seeing it now written down, that is what I will do. :-D

I ran out of Future Shop as I had a hot date at 8:30. None other than my favourite Hot Yoga! It was an advanced class. This is my second advance class, and I'm loving it. I love trying all the balanced postures (extended side arm balance, eagle pose, peacock, crow and headstands). Luuurve it!

This morning came so early. Even earlier for Kevin (as he didn't get home and to bed until 1:45am). I was so so so happy that Kevin agreed to get up with me for a early morning workout.

For breakfast I started again with my new favourite Apple Larabar. Honestly its perfect for me first thing in the morning before a workout.

After mowing down on this, it was out to get on the bikes. Not before stopping to use some masking tape on our right pant legs (neither of us have chain guards and it was only 6 degrees Celsius out). Sadly I didn't think to take a picture of this.

Off we were for a 13k bike ride followed by a short 2k run. My energy was running low and so was time before work otherwise I would have pushed through for more K's. Back at home Kevin and I did some weights working our arms and then did some ab work.

Then as I promised Kevin, I would show him the advance postures I've been working on in Hot Yoga. He was impressed with my progress (I can't always get the poses or hold them too long but keep practising).

I grabbed a quick shower and though I was going to have a mushroom egg white scramble, I was short on time. So I made something I could take with me in the car to work for a mid morning snack.

• 2 tsp ground flax
• 2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach
• .66 of my banana from yesterday
• 1/2 pint of blueberries
• 1/4 pint raspberries
• 1 cup Almond milk
• 1 beet

It was delish and hit the spot around 10am this morning.

Question: What is your favourite Yoga pose? Have you ever tried a pose you didn't think you could do, but gave it a try anyways?

For me that was the first time 4 weeks ago when I first tried a headsatand. It felt great just getting into the pod.

Friendly skies

Wow! What a difference a bright blue sky makes in the morning when it comes to dragging your butt out of bed at 5am. As we remember yesterday I failed to get up at 5am to make it to the gym for swimming at 6:30. I blamed it on the overcast looking sky. Well as per this mornings results, I do believe that was the true cause ;)

This morning the sky was so bright looking (yes it is looking bright at 5am here now). It looked like it was such nice weather out, how could I stay in bed and not get out to enjoy the day.

More on that later.

Last night I met up with one of my bestest friends Amanda. Amanda and I live a good hour and a half apart (she in Mississauga and I in Bowmanville). But we make efforts to get together as often as possible. Even for dinners after work.

Amanda was great and found this sushi place just off the 401 at Avenue road called Nara Sushi. It is a pretty good half way meeting point for us both, that way one isn't driving further than the other.

Being that it was 7 before we got together we were pretty hungry, though I just didn't know it yet.

We decided to order together and share. Mmmmm so much goodness!
California rolls, spicy crab rolls, and salmon skin rolls. Sashimi and some sushi to boot!

I really love the smiling fish boat it came out on.

Amanda and I spend almost 2 hours at dinner, eating and catching up. With the amount of work that I have been working lately (just in case I had been laid off) and with Amanda's school schedule (finishing up her MBA - 601 class), we had a lot to catch each other up on.

We parted ways and decided we would find more random places to try that are half way for us both every few weeks until our schedules slow down.

So as I said I got up this morning for a bike ride to the swimming pool. I live a 5 minute bike ride to the local pool. But I wasn't going to ride there. PEOPLE I'M TRAINING FOR A TRY-A-TRI! I was going to ride my bike 8k to Newcastle to use the pool there.

I knew that I was in for a good hour and a half and a lot of burning of calories. So no working out on an empty stomach. I needed something that was going to give me energy, but not be too heavy in my stomach. The last apple Larabar. I don't know why until this morning I didn't fully appreciate the yumminess of this flavour. I kept trying all these other 'exotic' flavours, and didn't like them one bit. But this was just what I needed. While eating I turned on CP24 to catch up on some news, weather and all is going on in the world.

WHOAH! Cam Wolley says that it feels like it's in the minus out this morning! ACK! Good thing I turned on the news.

I grabbed my winter tuque, my mini mitts and fluffed the hood of my sweater around my neck like a scarf to go out on my bike.

Oh boy! It sure was crisp out at 6am this morning. But so calm, peaceful and relaxing. The sun was slowly coming up. This made the ride that much more enjoyable. And I was surprised that the ride wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be (lots of long gradual inclines). I'm kinda proud of myself.

During the 31 minutes I spent in the pool, I went between elation at how quick I went to frustration at my stroke technique. Sadly I felt more the later the majority of the swim. 2 weeks away from the pool clearly effected me. I am def gonna ramp up my swimming because with out the technique I'm not gonna do well in an open body of water with 50+ other swimmers.

I tried to go through my changing quickly to simulate T1 of the Tri. Took me about 8-9 minutes, but I also had to pack up my backpack too, which I won't be doing at the Tri.

The ride home I think was much windier, and really the time difference shows it. It took me 20 minutes to ride to the pool and 23 to ride home. If the wind wasn't blowing at me from my right side, it shifted to blow at me from head on. The best part of the ride home has got to be passing Algoma Orchards. All I could smell was apple pies being baked. The apple cinnamony goodness!

Back home jumped in the shower to wash all the chemicals off me and lotion up so that my skin doesn't dry out. Then true breakfast time.

Here I needed something that was going to sit in my stomach and keep me full until lunch time. Nothing keeps you full like some oatmeal. But not just any kind of oatmeal.

OIAJ!!

Almond butter this time instead of the cashew butter that I had last round.

About 2 tbsp left, perfect amount!

1/3 cup of quick oats.

* Not pictured *

• 1/8 cup of egg whites (1egg white)
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1tbsp chia seeds

Take 1 banana and break it into several pieces. Then I toss it in the microwave to make it easier to mash up. Add some cinnamon and nutmeg (inspiration from the apple pie aroma from earlier) & mash! Toss the banana mixture into the jar and heat for 1.5 mins. Then I mix it up, making sure to get all that nut buttery goodness from the bottom of the jar. Heat for another 30 seconds. Voila! I topped today's OIAJ with some pumpkin seeds for some crunch and some dried blueberries. Mix together and enjoy.All gone! I love OIAJ. They are quite possibly my favourite new food I discovered through following blogs. Do you eat OIAJ? What is your favourite flavour combinations?

My Day!

So, I need to do a little catching up.

Tuesday:

- I went to the restructuring meeting at work which talked about the affected areas of work effected by Monday's layoff notices.

- Basically I have enough seniority that I will be safe, regardless of bumping. *sigh*. Secretly I kind of wished that I was getting a lay off notice. Yes yes yes I was uber stressed out and not a happy blogger during it all, but I do not love my job anymore.

- Now that we know what is going on I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT LAY OFFS ANYMORE when I go to work. It's been months, and it wearing me down now.

Wednesday:

I woke up to my alarm at 6:54, to which I continually hit the snooze button until 7am. I dragged my butt out of bed to make it the washroom to realize that I was waking up dreading going into the office, that I was already in a funk and was feeling depressed.

I went over to the computer and turned it on to email (we don't call in) sick. I needed a mental health day.

I ended up having to really force myself back to sleep, but that forcefulness lead me to sleep until 10am.

Kevin asked me what I wanted to do, as this was MY DAY! Anything I wanted to do that was going to make me feel good.

I made some most delicious chocolate, blueberry, pomegranate buckwheat pancakes with a side of fresh fruit for breakfast.

After watching this weeks episode of lost, Kevin and I got dressed to go for a bike ride. Not before slathering ourselves with some SPF 55. Always remember to take care of your skin, especially this time of year when we are so susceptible to burns on our pale pale skin.

About a 12K bike ride and a 4.3k run, I felt GREAT! I told Kevin how happy I felt, and how I hadn't felt this way in months and months. I told Kevin that after talking with my girlfriend Amanda, that I'm in agreement with her. Not everyone is a Monday-Friday 9-5 kind of person. I am not that kind of person. It's kind of scary how depressed it makes me feel. I need more flexibility in my work hours so that I can be outside or at the gym(in colder weather) exercising.

Kevin agreed that this seems to be the case. Kevin has been a great supporter to me. Thank you babe!

He is fully behind me going back to school to take something that is going to land me a career I will love. A career that offers me that flexibility that I oh so clearly need.

So I have been making phone calls, sending emails and doing some research into a new possibility.

I also have been working on creating more motivation in my active life. Yes I am signed up for a Try-A-Tri for Aug 22, but right now that seems so far away. I have to thank Sonya for giving me the idea for inspiration. Sonya has signed herself up for a 5k Run in June. So this has inspired me to find several small runs to keep me motivated.

So far I have signed up for:
May 8th Lakefield 5k Run
June 6th Bowmanville 8K run

I am also looking to sign up for
July 19th Toronto Pearson Airport Runway run (yes a 5k run on the runway - how fun!)
July 1 Brooklin Ontario 5 mile run.

Well that brings us up to speed. Sadly I can't post any of my pictures from yesterday, outdoors, food or today's food because my computer at work isn't reading my cameras memory card right now. Frankly I am just not tech savvy enough to figure it out.

I also just want to end on this note. I read on a blog a saying. Sadly I can't remember who's blog I read it on, but this is my new motto. I plan to make it a point to live day to day by it. I have printed it out on some bright pink paper and tacked it to the wall facing me so I can read it every day:

Do what you love, Love what you do!

last note:

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Spaghetti Dinner

Though the weather is nice and warm, I ended my day with some warming comfort food. I was at my part time evening job, and thankfully I was only needed sporadically throughout my meeting between 5-7 so I was able to leave during and grab some dinner for 30 mins or so.

This made me happy! This is because normally I don't get out of my meeting and can't eat dinner until 7pm. Though this meeting almost always goes quickly, I find myself so hungry that I almost never taste the food I'm shovelling into my mouth.

So because I was able to relax, I thought I'd make myself a mug of hot chocolate as well. Sadly it wasn't as nice as a mug of tea.

For dinner I had a load of veggies. The whole day today has been a bunch of fruit and veggies. Nothing wrong with that though. They are healthy.

Veggie spaghetti squash.

I also snacked on my afternoon snack veggies that I had yet to eat.

While driving home my husband sent me a message letting me know that he had a surprise ready for me. I love me some surprises!

When I got home I found that Kevin had gotten our bikes all cleaned up, air in the tires, chain cleaned and greased up. This is exciting as I have been just waiting for some decent weather for the two of us to get out and go for a bike ride.

Question: For those of us who live where there are 4 seasons, have you gotten your bike cleaned up and ready for riding?

~ M ~