Live with Kelly!

Just hopped off the elliptical, and thought I’d write this down. Every weekday morning I take a twenty minute (sometimes more) run on the elliptical. While running (or ellipsing?) Live with Kelly is on the television, entertaining me with its opening 20 minute commercial free chatting.

Anyhow – I speak the truth: the better Kelly’s co-host, the easier it is to exercise. Just this morning Kim Kardashian was on the television (and it is a secret fixation of mine to watch all things Kardashian . . . ) talking about her divorce with that basketball fellow, Kris Humphries. So there I am sweating and running more quickly than ever and with a stupid smile plastered across my face. (This happens occasionally, I watch television and start making facial expressions . . . today I kept realizing that I was smiling like an idiot over Live with Kelly.)

You may or may not watch this morning show. After Regis left it was certainly a little sad, but nevertheless I really enjoy Kelly. She’s been ripping through new co-hosts day after day, and I’ll tell you this – many famous actors who appear very charming and wonderful on screen are actually awkward or boring or too self-focused in ‘real life’ (i.e. reality television).  My best workouts have been to the entertaining mixture of Kelly and Neil Patrick Harris, Kelly and Josh Groben, Kelly and Michael Buble, and now Kelly and Kim Kardashian.

And as I ran lap after lap, this realization dawned:  good co-hosts equals good exercise.

So Kelly, hurry up and choose Neil Patrick Harris already for your co-host. It’ll be better for my health.

Letting the tea cool

This has been some week. One for the grey matter, that’s for sure. What started with a string of doctor’s appointments led into going to Montreal, visiting friends, and learning how to balance the accounts at my parent’s office. So now it’s Sunday. And now I’m done. Next week – that’s tomorrow, there will be more. There will be forms to fill, more travel to arrange, friends to meet (yay!), accounting to learn and hopefully, if I can cram it in, writing.Something about doctor’s appointments never settle well in my stomach, particularly when overwhelmed with new ideas. I went to an appointment last week with a doctor who has many novel approaches on how to best battle cancer (and just be healthy in general). This is a good thing, because the more perspectives the better and she’s  very informed and totally passionate. But by the end of our session, particularly considering I’d been to visit Dr Canada the day before, I was 100% exhausted. Exhausted and mad. Mad. Mad. Mad. Having to deal makes me mad. You know? Having to examine my diet, having to take supplements, having to give blood – simply having to deal. Too much at once can make me retreat into nothing all together.

Most often my preferred behaviour would be to hop on a plane for the south of France and live along the beach with the shells and sand castles. Zsolt could join me, just like he did when we first met. Or maybe we could rent a quad bike and get lost at dusk in the hills of Corfu. Or visit a market where we don’t speak the language and ask the locals to show us their cheese. Wander down cobblestone passages as we explore the heart of Rome. Spend a day dipping in and out of both thermal and cold waters. Biking along the shore of Balaton. Driving through the rocky mountains. Hiking along the coast of Nova Scotia. Canoeing in pyramid lake. Sitting in my parent’s living room as the fire burns. Playing Rummy with my family.

Sigh.

And then I remember why I need to stay better. You know? Why I need to keep working on health. Why I have to guarantee myself I’ll do my best. These are the things to remember.

So yes, I get mad. I get so incredibly overwhelmed. I become disconnected in response. It can happen to anyone.

But thank goodness for writing, and remembering too. Thank goodness for taking the time to blog and reflect. Writing reveals what’s most important. It’s a reflection, a time machine, an opportunity.

Did you know that in 2013, Zsolt and I will travel to India? We will. Now there’s an adventure to look forward to.

(Another element, beside having seen family and friends this past weekend, to improving my mood was eating a serving of pecans. Not a cheap nut, but a good one. Mixed with light honey and a few dashes of cayenne pepper, broiled in the oven till they sizzled . . .  cooled, and then popped into my waiting mouth. Just you try and be grumpy after that.)

A distraction and a reality

The distraction:

We took sledding up a level today by adding another person to our team. Zsolt, my brother (new addition) and I headed over to the KRC hill this afternoon and glided into some winter madness. Side runs, spins, trains – you name it, we sled it. The only thing missing were some GT Snow Racers, which, due to lack of foresight, were unfortunately discarded several years ago. It was a disappointing moment upon returning home from abroad to learn that the GTs had been carted off.  But nevertheless with a saucer and this body shaped board, we had a great time. And no one on the hill! All the little kiddios were at school, so we owned the hill. The only thing is that Zsolt and I are nearly both in our thirties (with Zsolt already having crossed that line). I have a feeling our limbs aren’t’ t quite so resilient as they once were. However, even today when we flew off sideways from the sled-train and skidded down the hill, even when my ankle flipped and hands were flying and snow was shooting into our faces .  . . even then I couldn’t stop laughing.

One awesome way to exercise in this Canadian winter: go sledding. Maybe wear a helmet, and keep all limbs tucked inside. Just don’t blame me for any wipe outs, okay? It’s part of the experience.

The reality:

Tomorrow I have an oncologist appointment with Dr Canada. So I guess I’ll hear how my ovaries are doing and whether that cist cleared up. After this appointment, to help shake off the nerves, we’re going out for Indian food at Ottawa’s Little India. That is, we’ll be going if we can get a seat. The place is always crammed. And then Thursday I have another doctor’s appointment with a different doctor. So – a lotta appointments all at once. (Including my other appointment yesterday at my parent’s office.) Blarg. All in the name of better health, eh. 🙂