It's Been Some Couple of Weeks

We were on school holidays again, between Terms 3 and 4.  Somehow, we are rushing with the speed of a runaway train toward the end of another school year.  J is about to finish Year 4.  That means he starts Year 5 in January.  Let me repeat that last part for effect, YEAR 5!!!!  How the heck did that happen?  I do know when a local news show recently had a special on how to handle the empty nest years, I tuned in, sigh.

We staycationed again at home.  It was ok but J was unwell through much of it.  We did fit in a fair bit of training for our 5k (see sidebar) run next month.  I am fairly confident that J will not only beat me in this fun run but will do so convincingly.  The fact that I arrive the morning of the race after flying all night from Hong Kong may have something to do with it.

His victory may also be aided by the fact that I keep forgetting I am a 40-ahem-something and have been running for weeks through a persistent hamstring strain.  Guess what?  I am now hamstrung with my hamstring.  Popping NSAIDs like an addict, I  returned to swimming, especially as we finally seem to be limping towards summer down under.  Guess what?  Are you familiar with the medial deltoid muscle of your shoulder?  I am now also hamstrung with my medial deltoid muscle, double sigh.  Ouch it just hurt to move my mouse to fix a typo.

However, it's all better than the alternative which was never made more sickeningly clear than when my second oldest friend in the world passed away last week at the ripe old age of 47.  Life sucks sometimes.  He leaves behind two extraordinary boys who were fortunate to know their remarkable father for more than 20 years.  Though we have been expecting it, his was not a easy death; cancer rarely bestows that gift.  He did, however, demonstrate more grace and humour than I would have thought humanly possible under the circumstances; cancer did not strip him of that.

On a more positive note, I am awaiting with much anticipation a week away in Hong Kong with a girlfriend from Canada in a few weeks.   A month later, we fly to Canada for the Christmas holidays, let me repeat that last part for effect, THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, oy, that means we will be decorating for the holidays within weeks.  I dodged my promise to J to host a Hallowe'en party this year.  J has never lost his love for Hallowe'en and it really isn't done here, nor was it done much in Switzerland.  HOWEVER, a kindly mansion in our neighbourhood is hosting a haunted house, tickets only $5.00/kid.  I logged into their site faster than you can say 'boo' and secured tickets for J and two mates -  bah da bing!

Now I just have to get my hamstring and shoulder healthy again, or skiing, a few short weeks from now, won't be pretty.