So Far In 2011......

I'll admit that I didn't perform any ritualistic incantations related to my New Years Eve resolutions, so any failure to follow through thereon rests completely upon my shoulders.  (If, however, my resolutions come crashing down shortly after I post them here I shall consider this blog cursed and thereafter speak only of what has happened rather than what will happen.  'Member when I bragged on myself about keeping up with the "One A Day" pictures?  And what happened almost immediately after that?!?!?!?)

Wow.  I'm like really wordy in the early A.M.  Yikes.

Last year I stepped away from soda.  I can't say that I completely cut out the carbonated sweet stuff, but I would be surprised if I had more than 15-20 over the course of the whole year - and mostly when I was not feeling well.  (My go-to drink of choice when I have a case of the ackies is about 1/4 orange juice, 3/4 of whatever clear, diet soda I can find.)   Shad joined me on this noble endeavour a week or so before New Years, so together we've gone soda-free for 2011.  Unless I get sick.  Which shouldn't really count.  Right? 

Over the last few months Shad, with Andrew's help, has been fixing up our previously-unused basement.  He cleaned, painted, sealed and spiffied about 1/2 of the space and then started turning it in to our very own home gym area.  We already had a treadmill and Christmas added a weight bench (Andrew's), a heavy bag (Shad's) and a small tv/dvd combo (mine) to the space.  A few weights, some resistance bands and a yoga mat round out the area quite nicely and, as long as you don't hit your head on the canoe, you can get a pretty good workout on.

*I'd like to just brush past the canoe comment without further explanation, but I'm sitting here thinking that if I read that someone had a home gym in which there was some real danger of hitting your head on a canoe, I'd want further information.  Well, the short story is that we have a canoe hanging up in our basement, and that's probably something that you could have came up with yourself if you'd thought about it for a minute instead of just immediately jumping to puzzlement.  : p

I have declared 2011 "The Year That I'm Officially A Girl".  I mean, I've been a girl for 37+ years now, but this year I'm trying out some of the typically-girly type things.  For instance, I have worn makeup every day of 2011 so far.

I'll give you a minute with that one, because if you know me in real life that's probably a lot to take in.......

I've also taken some more effort with the 'do, including but not limited to crossing off another one of my "40 Things" goals.  Last week I even purchased a curling iron.

I feel like I should give y'all another moment to digest that one.........

I've been wearing jewelry (which has in turn led me to create even more jewelry!) and even bought four new pairs of shoes.  Perhaps most amazingly, for the first time in I don't know how long I own four pairs of jeans.  Four.  It's like my denim options are nigh-on endless at this point.......

Some new work-related issues have me frankly dreading my employment sector in the coming year, but I'm just going to have to make up for it in home, family and fun!!!!!!!

Without Further Ado.....

First, some hints about the activity that Andrew and I partook of this afternoon.....

I looked like this.....

There was one of these there.....

And one of these.....

Give up?

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE BABY!!!!!!!

Shad accompanied Andrew and I as the official event photographer while Malorie stayed home.  It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time - I figure that I'm the perfect physiological specimen for such a feat.  Due to my increased insulation and my extreme buoyancy, it should be a walk in the park, right?

The Official "Before" Picture

See that guy in the background?  That's Bob.  I work with Bob sometimes.  He shares my love of all things zombie and, after learning that I was considering "taking the plunge" said that he might come along.  He then told me that he might dress like a zombie, so of course I immediately glommed onto that idea!  He brought our friend Jason, who I also work with from time to time, who was all decked out in a sweet white suit courtesy of the GW Boutique.

Doesn't it kinda look like Andrew is worried and I'm looking for an escape route?

It was incredible!  I will honestly tell you that I never got really cold, even though the air temperature was about 18 degrees (5 degrees with windchill) and the water temperature was 37-38 degrees on the surface.  I was truly amazed at how little total immersion in cold water effected me!

Andrew going in

Andrew coming out

You'll probably notice that there are no pictures of my entrance and egress - well that's because it's my blog and I don't have to post any unflattering pictures of me if I don't want to!  (Actually, when I was editing the pictures I somehow lost a really funny one of me going in - I'm going to see if I can find it and if I do I'll post it.)

Bob and Jason coming out

Yep, those are icicles forming in my hair!

All in all, an incredible experience.  Life affirming and whatnot.  Got the ole ticker going and reminded me that I'm still alive and somewhat prone to doing crazy/stupid stuff every now and then.

Andrew's already planning our ensembles for next year.  Am I up for it?

Oh yeah!

ETA - Found it!

Whew!

Just ran a comprehensive blog check, everything seems A-OK......   :)

So here I am, back at ye 'ole computer chair, better late than never, right?  I guess I should say "Better early than never" because regardless of the time that this post actually gets finished I will tell you that it was started at 5:04 a.m.  A sane person might inquire why I am up at such a god-awful early hour.  Unfortunately, as I am probably the only one who can legitimately answer that question and have been feeling far from sane as of late, the sane inquiry may receive a very insane reply.

Look, I know that I've been neglecting my little blog.  I think at this point we have to give up on catching up on the "One A Day" photos, because while I'm still taking pictures (almost) every day, there is at this point no way that I'm going to be able to go back and get them all posted.  I have, however, taken some really rocking pics that I'll be throwing up (and not throwing up like vomiting but throwing up like "placing gently on this blog at some time or another") soon.

I'm going to separate out some posts here over the next few days - I know, where have you heard that before, right?!?!? - to catch up on all of the exciting goings-on around here.  Andrew and I are planning on doing a little something this afternoon that I've been wanting to do for a while now.  Pictures to follow......

Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?

*tap*tap*tap*

Check 1 - 2,  Check 1 - 2.

Is this thing on?