Week 52 of 52

            Here we are another year lived...another year older...if not wiser...but maybe wiser in the fact that I am now a retired retail worker...my last day at Hallmark made me re-think my decision again...I had a good last day at work...but it didn't take long to remember all the bad days and all the stress and all the aches and pains this job seems to give me...now knowing I am done with the retail industry I am comfortable with the choice I have made...

            I just read my 'Thoughts on Resolutions' blog entry...from the beginning of last January...mmm...I had some good ideas but didn't follow through on all of them...I still cannot speak Spanish...I still cannot ride a horse...I still cannot play the guitar...but I can do yoga...I have been taking classes for almost a year now...after a weeks break for the holidays I start up again with my classes on Thursday...I completed the 'Couch to 5k' running program...it's on Facebook if anyone wants to become a runner...yes I am now a runner...I went from hardly being able to run for 30 seconds in week one...to being able to run a 5k...that's 3.1 miles...running my first one in week 7 of this nine week program...

            I don't have any New Years Resolutions again this year...just a few small goals for throughout the year...I would like to continue with yoga...I would like to continue with my running program...must admit you almost need to have a goal in mind for running...It's sometimes hard to go down to the basement and get on the treadmill...I would like to set a goal of a certain amount of miles run each week...but right at this moment I am not giving myself a number...just to get a run in two or three times a week...even if it's only a 20 minute run...I did sign up today for the Twin Cities Color Run...it's not until July...but it is a running goal...this Spring and Summer I would like to extend my flower gardens...and this year we need to re-paint the deck...I also have a few indoor projects I would like to do...I'm still working on that old rocking chair...

            I am not going to do a weekly blog...some weeks I was really reaching at straws trying to find something to write about...now tell me...who really wants to read about me cleaning out underwear drawers...I will keep in touch by blog...don't know how often...not going to put a number on that either...

            My last entry for my 52 of 52...Adam and I went downtown Minneapolis this morning in 5 degree heat...yes this is Minnesota...and we ran the Commitment Day 5k...this 5k was being run simultaneously in various cities country wide...it was fun to be part of this movement...Joe drove us downtown and waited in the Metrodome while Adam and I ran...here are a few photos of the event...

                                                     adios amigas...feliz ano nuevo...

                          New Years Commitment Day Run...Minneapolis Minnesota...

                                                             Adam waiting to start...

                                                           Angela waiting to start...

                                                         Commitment Day tee-shirt...

                                 Commitment Day journal and bag...for completing the run...

Week 51 of 52

            Christmas morning found Adam, Aaron and I running the Joyful 5K around Como Lake in St Paul Minnesota...it was only 4 degrees when we left the house and I think it had warmed up to a whopping 6 degrees by the time we started to run...we had to run almost two times around the lake...

                                                                our souvenir bib...

                                   and we are off and running...Aaron...Angela...Adam...

                                                           Aaron first time around...

                                                            Angela first time around...

                                                            Adam first time around...

                                                           Aaron finishing in 27.39...

                                                           phew...finished in 33.51...

Adam finishing...

Week 50 of 52...part two...

Wednesday 19th December...

            Have you ever been so sure that a decision is the right thing to do...then as soon as you have done it you wasn't so sure any more...I had a few emotional days this week...after eleven years at Hallmark and quitting a few years ago only to be talked into staying...yesterday I gave my two weeks notice...I felt so sick and nervous all day...our district manager spent the day with us and I didn't want a confrontation with him and my manager so I left my notice in our communication book at the registers as I was leaving for the day...yeah I chickened out from talking to my manager...and I still haven't talked to her...she was off today...I work with her tomorrow...

            I didn't sleep last night...but nothing new there...all night I tossed and turned...did I do the right thing...is it the Christmas season that's making me feel like this again...for the last two or three years around this time I swear I am not going to work work another holiday season...I am going to be 60 years old in just a few weeks...and to be honest I just don't want to keep climbing ladders...I am getting to be afraid of falling off onto the cement floor...and I don't want to keep hauling heavy boxes around...and the customers...did I mention the customers at this time of the year...some of them can be brutal...

            I worked today and was still nervous about my decision...but as the day went on I knew I had done the right thing...I am very comfortable with my decision...

            What I am going to miss is my coworkers...I have made some good friendships over the years...from my little high school girls that graduated and went off to college and came back on breaks...to young moms and to more mature ladies like me...I am going to miss some of the regular customers that have been shopping at the store since we opened eleven years ago...

            I know it is going to be an adjustment being home everyday...but I think I can do it...I know I can do it...it's very emotional right now and I don't know what it is going to be like leaving on that last day...but I will be okay...

Thursday 20th December...

            I worked with my manager today...long story short...I am now unsure what to do...I am considering just stepping down from my position and working a couple of days a week...

Friday 21st December...

            ...after another conversation with my manager...step down...less money...same work...THE DECISION STANDS...my last day at Hallmark will be December 31st...I will be okay...

Week 50 of 52

          ...a busy week this week trying to get Christmas together for the family...a very emotional couple of days of decision making...more of that in my next post...

                                                    working on it...but not too far yet...

Week 49 of 52

 

 

                  A little bit behind with this post...but that is the story of my life at this time of the year...we got the house decorated for Christmas...inside and outside...the Christmas tree only fell over once so that was good...only broke one ornament...don't know which one until we pack them all away after Christmas...I found a little lantern on the floor...that's the clue that one broke...

 

                Got my work schedule for the next week or so...looks like I only have four days off between now and Christmas...that's right four days to get my act together and get Christmas organised for everyone...it's no wonder I get so stressed and cranky at this time of the year...I always feel that I do everything at the last minute...this working retail at this time of the year depresses me...we see the greed and the crankiness of our customers...and the closer it gets to Christmas the worse it gets...what happened to Peace and Goodwill to all men...

 

I know that I will get everything done...I always do...

 

A few photos of Christmas at our house...

This is my next project...going to refinish this wooden rocking chair...

Week 48 of 52

            Just a little project for this week...I have taken the kitchen stools and re-finished them...I used Zinssers Cover Spain Primer again...the same product I used on the coffee table I re-finished a few weeks ago...I still need to give the stools another couple of coats of paint...

                                                                    original stain...

                                                    Used Zinssers Cover Stain Primer...

                                                                  second coat on...

first coat of black paint on...

Week 47 of 52

            Last week when I wrote about signing up for my first 5k I never thought that I would be saying what I am about to say...I DID IT...I RAN A 5K...my goal was to at least run some of it...so I achieved my goal plus some...

            Aaron made it home for Thanksgiving and Aaron, Adam and I joined my friend Pam and her two daughters Brooke and Rachel and participated in the Minneapolis Turkey Trot...Aaron has run a half marathon and Brooke is a cross country runner for Eastview High School so a 5k was no problem to them...Adam and Aaron started together...Pam and I walked up to the start with thousands of other runners/walkers etc...16500 other runners/walkers...as we were getting to the start we could see people beginning to run...we walked for an extra minute or so to make sure we were warmed up enough...then we started to run...not very fast...we wanted to pace ourselves...lots of people were passing us but we didn't care...we have both only just got started with this thing called running a few weeks ago...we didn't want to push ourselves neither one of us wanted to get hurt...

            When we passed the 1.0 mile marker we couldn't believe that we had run a mile already...it gave us a little boost of confidence...we started passing people...we recognized some of these people that passed us at the start...now they were walking and we were still running...we continued on our ramble through the streets of Minneapolis and along the river...and before we knew it we were at the 2.5 mile marker...I got an adrenaline rush and wanted to push on but Pam and I had decided we had started this journey together we were going to finish together...we turned a corner and there it was in sight of us...the finish line...we had this we were going to run our first 5k...step by step side by side we ran over the finish line...

            We thought we had better make our way back to the car...we figured Adam and Aaron would be long done with the run and we agreed all to meet at the car rather then try to find each other in all those thousands of people...we got to the car and there was Joe and Aaron but no Adam...Pam and I went back to look for him thinking he was socialising somewhere...we didn't find Adam but we did find Brooke and Rachel and chatted with them a few minutes and took some photos...we headed back to the car again and this time Adam was there...apparently he came in behind us...got beat by his Mom and her friend...

            This was so much fun...the weather was a mild 50 something...it could have been icy cold and snowing...it was fun to see the costumes people were wearing...there were all age groups...from babies being pushed in strollers to elderly couples holding hands and walking...there were dogs of all sizes...and of course there were Adam...Aaron...Brooke...Rachel...Pam...and me...who would have thought it...

                                                           Aaron...Adam...Angela...

                                                     Adam...warming up pre-run...

                                                                 Angela...Pam...

                                                                  Brooke...Pam...

                                                       here we go towards the start...

                                                           getting closer to the start...

                                                                 2.5 mile marker...

                                                   after the run...two very happy tired girls...

Some of us are now thinking about doing a Christmas Day 5k...and Adam is thinking about doing the Moustache 5k in Minneapolis next Saturday...I think we have caught the running bug...