“Mama, I’m so proud of you… for giving me Valentine’s chocolate.”
-Anja
Way to spin it, kiddo.
Author: Christine Cogger
I am not a writer. I like my kids, coffee, running around and reading about you. I live in the most incredible part of the world and am lucky enough to live some pretty great adventures.
QOTD: Sochi Edition v. III
Our internet is patchy at best this weekend, so this edition brought to you from my phone.
Worst:
“You can tell she’s a skier by her turns.”
– Jen Heil on the French mogul skier.
How… Insightful.
Best:
“He’s running on fuuuuuuumes!”
-NBC commentator in final seconds of men’s skiathlon.
I’m not generally a fan of NBC coverage (because, you know #nbcfail) but that guy might be my new favourite commentator. I want to buy him some throat lozenges and a beer.
And from our living room:
“MAN DOWN!”
-Anja, whenever a figure skater falls.
I *heart* Olympics.
QOTD: Sochi Edition VII
“He just did not have enough mustard to make that transition. Any hot dog eater could easily have seen that”
–CBC commentator on Men’s Slopestyle.
Superb. The Olympics and a culinary show, all wrapped up in one!
Thanks to Glavas for catching that one. I’m going to have to become nocturnal to do this right!
QOTD: The Sochi Edition Vol. I
I love the Olympics. Always have and likely always will. Forget my weekend social media hiatus, I’ll no doubt be online all weekend taking it all in. Every 2 years, I don’t care if it’s the Summer or Winter Games, I’m all in. I become a fan of curling and watch track and field like it’s my job.
The North American coverage of Sochi (or, as some may refer to it, @sochiproblems) has an air of schadenfreude to it. It’s like we’re holding our collective breath and hoping for failure. But if I recall correctly, Vancouver 2010 had a heavy dose of the same scepticism in 2010 before the world got all dazzled.
I won’t deny that there are numerous problems in Russia. I have good friends on the ground over there who will attest to it. I also have friends telling me that they’ve met some wonderful people and that their experience couldn’t be better, so far.
I’m not going to comment on something I don’t have first hand knowledge of. But you know what I can comment on? The commentary. Because really, I’ll be hearing lots of it with all my planned TV watching.
A fine sampling:
“If he’s going to go for first as he has in the past, he’s going to have to rely on his skating”.
-Kurt Browning, commenting on Patrick Chan’s short program skate.
Wow. I was hoping the brownies he’s baked for the judges would push him over the top.
Let the Games begin!
Saturday.
Let’s face it. When your 3 year old tells you she doesn’t want to go skiing because there are too many rocks, it’s time to move to plan B. I can’t really argue with her, it’s not as though we’ve had a stellar winter to date.
Saturdays agree with me lately. The kids are fairly cooperative in letting me sleep in (and by sleep in, I mean the clock doesn’t lead with a 6), cartoons are allowed and therefore coffee is consumed in peace, and it’s a day off from work and training. These days, I’ve even been good and stayed away from the stimulation/black hole of social media! (Pats self on back).
While we skied last weekend in balmy 12C, this Saturday was cold and sunny, so the little people wandered across the road to skate on their “rink”: a frozen puddle in the middle of a hay field. I felt so Canadian! Too bad I don’t own skates.
I suspect that tomorrow we’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming and be back on the hill. We just can’t seem to stay away. As it should be!
Stalling.
Almost every night, about 30 minutes after I naively believe everyone is asleep in this house, I hear footsteps wander down the hall, tip-toe down the stairs and slink into the living room.
Oh, hey Will. Shouldn’t you be asleep?
“I feel… weird”.
“I feel like… half my brain wants me to sleep but the other half of my brain doesn’t.”
“Why did someone invent school?”
“What do people use safes for?”
After I answer 1 or 2 or 11 questions, the stalling stutters to an end:
“Um… (long pause) But Mum… (long pause as he searches for another question)…”
“Good night Will. It’s late.”
“Ok fine. But why did someone invent a school just for boys and girls couldn’t go and I wish only girls had to go to school but I don’t understand why they had to shoot that girl just because she wanted to go to school and it’s pretty lucky she survived, don’t you think?”
Note to self: Research this question.
…
He’ll then take the most circuitous route back to his bed possible, usually involving a water stop and some neck-craning back towards the living room to see what he could possibly be missing.
Does every 7 year old do this, or just mine?
100 days.
I just got all clammy and my heart rate spiked when I realized it’s 100 days today till my return to triathlon. Gulp. Time to put down the cupcake.
100 days to try to regain bike fitness.
100 days to relearn swimming (and by relearn, I really mean learn, because I’ve never really known how in the first place.)
100 days to work on run fitness.
100 days to plan on what to wear.
97 days to plan a really fun road trip.
A wee vent.
Clearly, I’m getting old(er) and crochety(er) by the minute.
I’m currently working in the library. Quietly. Because, to my knowledge, libraries are meant to be quiet. I had that notion ingrained into me at a very young age.
Herewith, a list of my pet peeves about today’s situation.
1. The library is not your personal kitchen. Those crunchy cracker things you keep pulling out of the crinkly bag? I can hear you chewing them from 10 feet away. Stop it.
2. The library is not your personal living room. Put your shoes back on. Wake up. Stop snoring.
3. The library is not your private office space. That phone call at top volume to check on your client? Stop it. Go outside.
4. The library is not your personal coffee shop. If you and your friends want to catch up and chat, go away.
5. I text as much as the next girl. But turn your phone sounds off *ping* *lalalala* *bzzzz*
Wow, I must be grumpy today.
‘Twas the season and all that.
Sitting at the counter, surrounded by bits and pieces of Christmas and New Year’s detritus. 1 kid at daycare, the other 2 playing outside with a friend in what can only be called an honest to goodness downpour. Welcome 2014!
So… whatcha been up to these last few weeks? I wish I could think of something riveting to say but I can sum up the last 6 weeks in bullet points and pictures. Hurray for the iPhone camera feature! Otherwise I’m pretty sure my memory would erase 87% of the daily stuff that goes on in these parts.
– Ski school, blessed wonderful ski school has resumed for 2/3 kids. That means we can now all ski together. And that also means we don’t fit on one chairlift (cue the “I want to ride with Mama/Dada!” arguments).
-I couldn’t really hack retirement. Back to work! Thrilled.
-I’ve tackled some more structured training in light of some looming races (damn you, foolish near-unachievable goals!) It feels good to shift into a routine. And hey! I can almost swim! And I’ve remembered what it’s like to sweat on the wind trainer. GTs.
-Contrary to all the lovey-dovey, 2013 was so wonderful #lucky13 posts I’ve read lately, I am not at all sad to see this year end. It was a frustrating one for me and I’m ready to move into even numbers.
-Speaking of the New Year, I’m not one for resolutions but I suppose I resolve to eat better (hahaha – I say that every year) and to spend at least one weekend every month totally unplugged. I think even I can manage that.
—
In kid news, this 2 week/3 weekend Christmas break with very little snow is kind of kicking my ass. They might be loath to admit it, but I think even the boys are ready to head back to school.
A few of the latest Anja quotes:
“Mama, when you were on your trip, I was looking at the ground and then I splattered my face on the ground.”
Me: “Can you be quiet?” Her: “No. My heart doesn’t like that so I listen to it.”
“Mama, elephants do not wear bathing suits.”
—
And lastly, a round up in pictures, in no particular order.
Laki.
Laki means lucky in Hawaiian.
And that’s what I am. Lucky. And a bit spoiled. But I can certainly appreciate it, and will never take this kind of thing for granted – ever.
This week, I’m in Maui with Liz and her family. I came for a mental break and I have sun, my bike, good friends, surrogate parents, a baby to squish and books. What more can I ask for?
Poolside morning coffee? Ok, why not.
I know this is a holiday, but somehow I feel a teeny bit less guilty if I call it a triathlon training camp (or as Lizzie and I are calling it, Ground Zero 2014). It feels good to get back on my bike – especially when my bike isn’t going nowhere in my dark garage; to run and to really sweat, and to contemplate swimming (I’m not cleared to properly swim yet. It’ll come). Look out, St-George, you might not be an epic fail after all…
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