snow covered & loving it

Yesterday was the most amazing experience 🙂  One I think I will remember for a loooong time.  How often do you get to be a part of a world record?  The attendance at the 2014 NHL Winter Classic was an astonishing 105, 491 people, which is expected to brake the world record for attendance at a single hockey game.

It was so cool 🙂 No pun intended, cause it snowed the entire day and the thermostat hovered around -15 celsius.  Thankfully I was smart and dressed appropriately.  A new long down jacket felt like walking around with a snug sleeping bag from my ears to my knees, but kept me good and warm.  The poor kid in front of me was in jeans and a thin little coat and shivered convulsively for the entire 4 hours we stood watching the game.

Plus, the Leafs won 🙂 3-2 in a shoot out.  Woot!  Bernier played incredibly, even with a toque stretched over his helmet.

However, the day didn’t go completely as planned.  Thankfully we were smart enough to start our trek at 6:45am in hopes of getting to Ann Arbor with time to walk around and enjoy the festivities associated with American sporting events.  But with the constantly falling snow, and the massive amount of people heading to the stadium, the drive there took 6 hours and the drive home took more than 7!  Google maps told me the trip would be 3.5 hours.  Guess I shouldn’t have been so naive as to believe that to be possible :p  We missed the opening face off, but were in our seats only a few minutes into the first period.  Also got to the parking spot I had booked ahead of time only to be refused a ride by the shuttle bus driver who was parked outside the lot.  So we hoofed it on foot a little more than a mile to the stadium.  The positive here, it was a good chance to warm up inside our layers of clothing before standing in the cold.  Good day regardless 🙂  To avoid the completely stopped traffic barely inching itself back on the highway after the game, we finally took into consideration the fact that we had barely eaten anything all day and stopped for dinner at TGIFriday’s where I had the most amazing tasting cobb salad I’ve ever had.  Not because it was amazing, but more because I was nutritionally vacant.  Only other fuel consumed through the day was some 7:00am roadie scrambled egg whites and a strip of bacon, as well as a plain hot dog at the game (sans le bun) and void of any condiments as the hotdog was marginally warm to begin with and the mustard my dad squeezed out onto his held the consistency of ice cream.  Nutritionally brilliant?  Not so much.

After dinner I was back to my old tricks and despite a valiant effort, could not keep my eyes open for a chunk of the drive home.  Sorry dad!  But it was a loooong day, and well past my bed time.  Finally got home and crawled into my bed after 3:00am.

All said and done, this year’s Winter Classic will go down in history as one of the best Christmas presents EVER 🙂  For me anyway 😉  Had a great time at the game and enjoyed spending the day with my dad 🙂

Didn’t make it to the box today, but I’ll be back tomorrow!  One spicy WOD awaits!  Complete with 10 miles worth of running and a giant heap of burpee pull-ups.  Doesn’t that sound fun?  :p

Closing note… you know how some people count sheep to fall asleep?  Well, I few nights ago I caught myself counting box jumps.  I have a problem.  But I’m ok with that 🙂

oh Christmas tree

Dec. 25

Merry Christmas everyone 🙂  Christmas brings a time to embrace traditions, spend time with family, and EAT lots of food!  Growing up, my whole family used to get together at my grandparents, but since they have all passed away it’s become ritual to spend the day in Brampton at my mom’s 🙂

After the ice storm a few days ago, my mom had mentioned Brampton had been hit really hard.  Nothing could have prepared me for just how bad!  Driving along my childhood street last night was like driving along the path of a tornado.  Many people on the street still don’t have power.  Trees are down everywhere.  It’s sad 😦

my backyard 😦

Today is one of the hardest days of the year to avoid temptations…  There are cookies everywhere and stuffing and gravy…  but thankfully LOTS of veggies and of course turkey.  Plus I brought along some of my own Paleo Gingerbread and Chocolate Coconut balls 🙂

Dec. 26

Ok, I’m not going to lie and say I was completely disciplined yesterday.  I kind of caved a few times in the form of heavenly nut-covered cheese log… and candy cane ice cream.  😮  Whatever, it was GOOD!  I justified the cheese log by eating it on a slice of zucchini instead of a cracker, but still so non-Paleo friendly.  It was Christmas.  Now it’s over and I’m back on the band wagon.

Hope Santa was good to everyone 🙂  I got some:

which I’m excited about testing out!  I’ve heard nothing but good things 🙂  Three days off from the box would normally hurt my brain, but it’s been a busy 3 days!  Today being the busiest retail insanity of the year.  Now that Christmas is all said and done, the excitement is building by the minute for the gift that more than makes up for the year I got a toboggan seat cushion as a gift from my dad.  I was 9.  And less than impressed.  But this one is going to be a day to remember 🙂

daddy daughter day 🙂