When it rains it pours and balloon festival

05. August 2017 · 4 comments · Categories: cross training, recreational fun · Tags: , , ,

I’m sorry I haven’t been posting much all week. I knew it would be a hectic one but it ended up being even more hectic than originally anticipated. I just got back from yoga and I’m feeling a bit calmer so I’ll fill you in on what’s been going on.

Duncan had some health stuff this week which I’m still dealing with. A small cyst on his outer eyelid got swollen and then burst and Tuesday morning it ruptured.

:(

🙁

The vet gave me instructions to do warm compresses twice a day, apply ointment to the lid and then give him 2 different pills daily including a steroid. Then came the side effects and the overall stress and possible discomfort he’s feeling. Needless to say I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with it all. I can handle a lot but when he isn’t well I shut down. My shmoopsie poo….what can i say. I barely ate this week but when i did it was paw print pancakes. lol.

IMG_2286

pitiful

pitiful

I was happy when he was resting comfortably

I was happy when he was resting comfortably

sad sac selfie (me more than him!)

sad sac selfie (me more than him!)

My car went in for routine servicing this week as well and somehow, my luck it started to act weird after I got it back. Idling low and last night it practically stalled….the lights came on on the dashboard and then it lurched forward a couple of times. I’m going to bring it back Monday so they can take a look. Hoping they just have to make some adjustments to whatever they did.

And then I got swamped with work….which is good but stressful. I’ve got multiple new projects from one client that are all fairly fast paced as far as deadlines go so I’ve been working at night and in the early mornings to keep up.

And the only exercise I managed to get in this week was yoga on Monday and again today….oh and some whitewater rafting yesterday. Yep, in the midst of my crazy week I went with Mr. SOTSS and his girls for the day. I was home by 7pm and worked until 11pm.

relaxing in between rapids

relaxing in between rapids

And while we sat in traffic coming home we got to see this pretty lil rainbow

always a sucker for the 'bow

always a sucker for the ‘bow and the beau 🙂

Hoping next week is a little calmer.

Oh and my toe? Yep, slowly healing. 8 treatments of PT and still not walking 100 percent all day but wayyyyyy better than i’ve been I get about 15 minutes every morning where I feel 100 percent and then slowly as the day progresses I am reminded that the toe is still healing. I’m going to wait until Labor Day weekend (about a month from now) to decide if I’m ready for some short, easy running miles. But boy has it gotten easier to handle this non-running.

And last weekend I got to go to a balloon festival in Readington, NJ. IMG_2048

Unfortunately the winds were too high for the balloons to take flight but we got to see some hot air balloons filled up and looking pretty. It was a fun evening.

Wonder Bread balloon glowing.

Wonder Bread balloon glowing.

Angry Bird balloon overshadowing the Wonder Bread balloon

Angry Bird balloon overshadowing the Wonder Bread balloon

IMG_2073-retouched

Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? Would you want to?

What is the biggest “small stuff” stressor for you?

For me it’s my car and when my dog is sick. Both in one week!

 

Related posts:

  1. Mt Snow Vermont ski weekend recap plus healthy car snack options
  2. On this day Sweat Out The Small Stuff turns four
  3. A What If, Weekend and PT Update

The best way to deal with stress and worry and a hike with the hound

18. November 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: helpful tips, labradoodle, recreational fun · Tags: , ,

Tricked you! I don’t have the BEST way to deal with stress and worry although I tend to think running is up there along with chocolate of any kind….

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Seriously though, I just read this article in Fitness magazine and found it interesting for sure. Decision fatigue? I’d never heard of that. But it makes sense. I’ve always been the indecisive type, but didn’t know that even mundane decisions like what to wear or what to eat for lunch could zap my energy leaving me more vulnerable to stress and worry. Then there’s the “toxic thought spiral”. I know that well. I think I was in that spiral for most of 2010 (blame that one on a boy who left out some serious details about his relationship status. I couldn’t stop the obsessive thoughts about why things didn’t work out. I wasn’t pretty enough, or smart enough or whatever enough. A year later I found out and now I look back and laugh at the whole situation but I truly zapped a lot of my energy with all the useless spiraling.) The article suggests doing something that lets you concentrate on your movements like spin or Zumba to break the obsessive thought spiral. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I found running and it’s theraputic effect on me. It’s been 9 days since I last ran and I’m thinking I’ll need a quick “hit” soon.

Over the weekend I learned of some troubling health news—one involving a human and one involving a dog—both very dear to me. It got me spiraling for a bit. Nothing worse than feeling helpless when people (and pooches) you care about are hurting and you can’t fix it. I knew I needed to do something. So even though it was drizzly and foggy I took an hours’ ride to the State Line Lookout area, a section of the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey and went on a short hike with Duncan. It wasn’t the 7 or 8 mile hike I’ve been really wanting to conquer but nonetheless, enough miles to get my mind back to a balanced state. And the weather actually made for some mystical magical looking photos.

fairy tale doodle

fairy tale doodle

photo 5[1]

the only thing “more difficult” about the trail was the slippery rocks and leaves

It was so quiet. At one point Duncan and I stopped to have a snack and all you could hear was our crunching.

dog biscuits for the doodle and trail mix for me

dog biscuits for the doodle and trail mix for me

A few more pics…

It was so foggy that you couldn’t see Manhattan’s skyline behind me.

photo 2[1]

After our hike, Duncan and I drove about 20 minutes north to check on my friend’s mom. She’s 90 years old young and while I was just there to keep her company for a few hours she took great care of me! She made me fresh coffee when I arrived and after chatting and watching some TV she cooked me dinner! It was lovely. Made me miss my grandparents. I haven’t enjoyed the company of a senior in a while.

Duncan had to watch to be in the kitchen the entire time those chicken cutlets were frying

Duncan had to keep an eye on things in the kitchen the entire time those chicken cutlets were frying. You know, just in case she needed a helping paw.

I’m feeling recovered enough that I’d like to start tossing in a few easy runs this week. Lots of bloggers were running marathons and half marathons this weekend and it was super fun to track them and hear their recaps. But now I’m anxious to start training for my next one. In the meantime I’ll keep cross-training with the doodle. It’s actually fun to spend so much time with him. So long as it isn’t another National Squirrel Convention anytime soon =)

How was your weekend? Anyone have the monday blues? Anyone run this weekend?

 

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