Tag Archives: holidays

Invincible.

December 13, 2012 – 9:41 am

I had a day off yesterday, and I used some of my extra time to go to the gym and get in a decent workout for a change.

I guess you could say that my exercise routines go with the seasons, so to speak. Most years, I try to work hard in the spring, maintain in the summer, finish strong in the fall. Then I try to give myself a break in November and December, only going when it’s most convenient and I really feel like it. Of course, the November/December thing gives me an opportunity to really slack off if I’m not careful. And frankly, some years, I’m not careful.

But however my workout routines go this time of year, I always get the same feeling when I do go:

I feel great.

In fact, I feel better than great. I feel like I’m fighting back against the carbs that seem to appear out of thin air during the holidays. I feel like I’m already getting a head start on next year. In my head, I’m already planning out what events I’ll compete in and how I’ll improve my technique to be the best athlete that I can. I can actually feel myself adding days, months, years to the end of my life.

Of course, that’s over-the-top optimistic. If you saw me, you’d realize that I definitely don’t look like an athlete. But on days like yesterday, I feel invincible, capable of handling any athletic endeavor. Even if I still have some poundage to shed.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Exercise | Also tagged , , | Comments (4)

Welcome to December.

December 3, 2012 – 10:16 am

One quick diabetes-related note, then a couple of photos… I’ll have more to share on the big D later in the week.

The Great Spousal Unit and I will be attending the Maryland JDRF’s T1D Connections Open House at the chapter headquarters in Linthicum Wednesday night from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Anyone with a diagnosis or connection to a diagnosis is welcome to attend. If you’d like to be there, Click Here to RSVP.

December has begun. And I promised to share some photos as I make my way through the holiday season. The first is from the front of our house, where we got the lights up on Friday. The red, green, and blue lights you see are actually inverted tomato cages from the vegetable garden. We turn them upside down, clip them to different heights, and string the lights. They look sort of like little Christmas trees.

The second photo is from our neighborhood. Every year Santa comes and lights up the tree in one of our common areas. The neighbors who live next to the tree open their porches to everyone and share cookies and warm beverages. Despite the fact that the lighting took place toward the end of the Ravens game (which they lost anyway), we still managed to get around 200 people for the celebration.

Enjoy the start of your week.

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By StephenS | Posted in Holidays | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Holidays, Blah-lidays.

November 27, 2012 – 11:39 am

This post contains some raw, random thoughts hashed out over a couple of days. But please, please, please don’t leave an “I’m sorry for you” comment”. If anything, feel good for me. I’m not struggling, I’m just figuring my way through something I never experienced before a couple of years ago.

Okay… I thought I was good. I thought I was doing great. I thought that I was way over whatever had possessed me at this point last two years.

Apparently, that’s not the case. Don’t be alarmed (don’t you always hate when a sentence begins like that?)… I’m still much better than I was last year. But whatever got hold of me then has reared its ugly head a couple of times in the past week. I’m dealing with it, first by reminding myself how good I really have it and then by trying to recognize those moments when I feel bad, using some outside tool (not drugs) to try and snap myself out of it. Doing something, anything different really works for me.

I’m not a bah-humbug kind of guy. In fact, I used to be someone who very much looked forward to the holiday season, enjoying every tradition and celebration with enthusiasm and joy.

But the last couple of years I’ve been, well, I don’t know. I don’t know exactly, and that’s part of what’s frustrating about it. It’s like I’m looking through this clear glass door at a room full of holiday partiers. I know I can walk through the door and join the party any time I want, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Is that weird? It sounds weird.

It’s my own fault, really. It’s not because I don’t want to join the party. I think that I’m ready to join the party, but I want everything to be perfect before I walk in. Everything. Everything in my life must be perfect, according to my idea of perfection. Otherwise, I’m worried I’ll be rejected because I’m not ready, or not deserving, or whatever.

So my post today is an attempt to change that pattern. During the next month plus, I’m going to give myself permission to ease up on the things that are driving me crazy right now. I’m going to say it’s okay to join the party for a while, and then look again at the imperfect parts of my life to see if they’re still as important as they seem today.

I’m going to go out and take part in some holiday gatherings, among people who smile and laugh and share in the festiveness of it all. You’ll probably see a few extra pictures in the next month as proof that I actually did what I said I would do.

And if you encounter someone like me this year? No pity, please. Just talk to me. Strike up a conversation. Ask me about something. Anything to snap me out of my self-imposed malaise. Keep me engaged… don’t let me emotionally wander away, because I could be going off to a bad place. For absolutely no good reason.

The holidays are strange, aren’t they? I’m not in any immediate danger or anything. I just wish I felt more like celebrating. A lot of others want to celebrate too. Is that too much to ask for?
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Healthcare | Also tagged , | Comments (3)