In four days I’m going to Florida.
I have not been on a trip in almost 8 weeks so I’m not sure I remember how to travel anymore. Add to it that this is a training trip that will require bike, wetsuit and warm weather clothes and I’m thinking I should start packing now.
I have probably been outdoors a total of 3 hours in the past 8 weeks. If you add up all the little walks up and down the street to take out BossBoss, a few runs here and there and trips to my car you would get roughly 3 hours. I hate winter for this. I love to be outdoors. I like the wind, the sun and getting sweaty. Winter keeps me trapped in my home letting me only to check the mail or start the car. It’s really a dismal, cold life for 5 months.
The good news is that there is only 8 more weeks left of it. I can make it. I will survive.
But I’m escaping and it’s about time.
Last year we took a lot of trips. I told Chris that this year I didn’t want to do too many winter trips. For one thing, traveling is very stressful on the body. For another thing, it’s very stressful to spend a weekend somewhere glorious and then have to return home to the cold prison cell of Illinois. This year I decided I would stay here in spite of winter, in spite of myself and make it work. I have a Computrainer. I have a treadmill. And it is always sunny and 70 degrees in my basement…..
(right?)
For a few weeks I was ok with winter. I didn’t detest it too much and pretended like it wasn’t there. But then it was under 20 degrees for about 3 weeks straight and it got harder to ignore. Just this past weekend I started to show signs of winter hatred and announced boldly to Chris “I hate living here.” He has heard this before and doesn’t really care. I don’t blame him. I hate a lot of things and boldly tell him at the most inopportune time (I hate traffic, I hate stoplights, I hate the smell of hair being blown dry at the gym). But then I realized that I would be in Florida next weekend so I got over it.
I’m going to Florida along with Jennifer to help Heather Gollnick with a camp. Heather has put together an action packed schedule of tri-activities but honestly I didn’t get past the word PANCAKES on Saturday night. I’m a breakfast for dinner whore. I mean that in a good way. I could live on waffles and pancakes and please oh please do not tell me how to make them with whole wheat or all natural maple syrup. If they are not made with Bisquick or covered in high fructose corn syrup they are not waffles and pancakes.
I don’t know what they are – perhaps healthy – but not the same.
We will be swimming in the ocean, biking really long and doing some runs. In addition I will be staying with Jennifer. Fear not, I am prepared. I have magazines. I am prepared to have the television on for 4 days straight. I know the elderly need to be fed every so often so I am also bringing emergency snacks. And yes, I have headphones (earplugs). I’m convinced everything should be ok as long as we go nowhere near a grocery store. I’ll admit, though, I’m a little worried when she finds out that dinner isn’t at 4 pm. I better bring Jerome’s phone number just in case.
I’m going to start packing now and since it’s a girly girl camp so I better bring something pink.
But in case I forget – I’m thinking Jen will have it covered for me.
