First Day of Winter

The first day of Winter was today.

The Winter Solstice.

The shortest daylight of the year and the longest nighttime of the year.

I am putting it to good use.

After a couple of weeks of sitting my butt on the couch, with only a few dog walks up Mt. Rubidoux and easy bike rides looking at Christmas lights, the scale screamed at me that it was time to get a move on to get the weight off.

This morning the Winter Solstice seemed like a good day to start.

I got up and put on my swim suit and headed to Shamel Pool for a mile swim in the warm water. Yes, this is a picture of today, December 21. There was steam coming off the water when I got there, but only because the water was about 80 and the outside was about 50. The temperature outside was about 60 when I jumped out of the pool.

Yikes, I don't look too happy to be in that pool, but really it was wonderful. I guess I need to practice taking pictures in the pool without looking as if I am worried about my phone getting wet. I was using my X-1 phone holder and since I have learned how to use it I don't worry anymore about wet phone. Now I just need to learn to not look as if I am worried. 

I got home just in time to change into my bike clothes and jump on my bike to ride to lunch.

Shirley and I rode down Victoria Avenue to the Greek Street Grill. It's been open about 6 months and has the best Lemon Chicken Rice Soup. Their kabobs are really good, too, but I wanted something light (I am trying to lose some weight after basically sitting on the couch for 2 weeks). But FYI - the lamb chops are also delicious.

When I got home, my goal was to clean my house. It's hard to clean my house...first, I HATE cleaning....second, it was so nice outside that I didn't want to waste my day cleaning. I did a couple of loads of laundry (carefully, so I didn't get any injuries as I have in the past), unloaded the dishwasher and started organizing my desk.

http://train-n-tri.blogspot.com/2012/08/jumpers-knee.html

(how I injured my knee last year while doing laundry)

I was so grateful when Robert called me and said the PC HOUSE guy called and said he put ALL my data on a flash drive. My computer "fried" last week and I didn't have access to a computer. Well, I have my iPhone and while I can check my emails and see Facebook, it is almost impossible to blog, send emails, or write training plans from my phone.

I went to PC HOUSE and not only saw all my data on the flash drive, I bought another computer and I'll get it on Monday, with all my information on it.

I was feeling so happy about my "Christmas" present purchase that I stopped at Dairy Queen and got a small chocolate cone.

Yes, this is from today, December 21st.

I stopped on my way home and picked up my weekly order of organic eggs.

Don't pay any attention to the cartons. The cartons are only to hold the eggs. 

My eggs come from range free chickens that eat great stuff and are happy and I am happy to support my friend and her chickens. 

And I love these eggs!!!

I got home and it was still daylight. I forced myself to do a little dusting and more laundry.

Then the mail came.

I was Smurfed.

This is a Christmas gift from my Secret Santa from my Aquaphor Team. 

Now that I am about done blogging, it is dark.

But my first day of Winter is NOT over.

I am going to use a lot of the dark of Winter Solstice dancing.

 This year I am NOT slipping in beer and getting a concussion. 

http://train-n-tri.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-concussed-christmas.html

(Last year's Dead Man's Party with concussion recap)

This may be the shortest "day" and "longest" night, but I am enjoying every minute of it.