better with bacon?

Yesterday, our post long run lunch involved BLTs. Delicious. I did a short long run (decided it was time to take a recovery week after several weeks of building some mileage) but Jordan did 20 miles. While that isn't where he "tops out" for mileage, it is still a long run which usually means he's eating all day.

We had errands to run (including finding some new running shoes and the perfect cast iron skillet for fried chicken) and the following conversation happened as we were getting ready to go:

Jordan: You know what the best part of this afternoon will be? 

Me: No, what? 

Jordan: Eating the bag of bacon. 

Me: I really need a "Shit my husband says" twitter account.

Hard to believe we had leftover bacon, I know, but it was definitely gone by the end of the afternoon.

new look!

Yes, this post is stating the obvious, but if you read in google reader maybe it isn't.

I've been trying to figure out a new look for awhile and was putting it off because I've been considering a switch to wordpress for what seems like forever. But apparently I'm too lazy for that right now so I had to make some changes. I was sick of how tiny the writing space column was with my last template and it was an old one that couldn't be adjusted. It was hard to say goodbye to the green (I've had a green blog since I started blogging in 2004), but I couldn't quite get the greens I wanted so I gave up and went with this (didn't I say I had a bit of a purple problem?). I have to say- I'm pretty excited about the comment reply.

I'll still be tweaking a few things in the next few weeks (hoping to set up some tabs and some other things) and hopefully it goes smoothly. I'm definitely a trial and error person- so hopefully I don't mess things up too much. Oh- and I've looked at it in Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome and things seem to look good- if you're using Explorer and things look funky, let me know!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

photo friday- what a cutie

I got to FaceTime with this little cutie last night. Yes, that's right- she's already so smart that she can FaceTime all on her own. Ok, maybe not. Maybe she was actually startled when my face appeared on the screen...but that doesn't mean she isn't the smartest 3 month old on the block.

hello!

I'm planning on a bit of a recovery weekend when it comes to a long run. I've been building long run mileage for a few weeks so I'm excited to scale it back and do a bit of a shorter run this Sunday.

Have a great weekend! Anything exciting planned?

the bad and the good- a day in review

Yesterday in review- in bads and goods:

The bad- this was the scene at Starbucks at 6 am when I was on my way to catch a 6:20 train:

no caffeine for me?

The good- at least Second Cup was open. And I guess it is always nice to support a Canadian company.

thank goodness for coffee

The good- I participated in a really good session on Healthy Workplaces. It was really interesting to hear about comprehensive and integrated workplace wellness. I'm excited reflect on what I've learned and to see what we can put into practice at work!

The bad- I was starting to get sleepy after such an early morning and was feeling like I wasn't able to think properly by the end of the day.

The good- At least I had cash on me to buy a metro ticket when I got off the train. Why is this important? Because...

The bad- I realized as I was gathering my stuff to get off the train on my way home that my metro card was no longer in my coat. My student metro card...the one that I paid for at the beginning of the year as a part of my tuition so that I had unlimited transit for the year.

not all metro signs are this pretty

The good- I have been needing to replace my student ID card anyway (because they changed my student ID number in December and I still haven't replaced the card)...so at least this forces me to go talk to the university card people. I've definitely been putting it off too long.

The bad- Not sure what hoops I'll have to jump through to replace this metro card. UGH.

I have to be honest, the exhaustion (which seems to be the theme for the week- I've been tired this week) and the lost metro card ended up putting a damper on my day. But you win some and you lose some. I'm hoping today swings toward the winning. Hopefully the sidewalks are clear (they've been super slippery lately) and I can put a point in the win column with a good run!

green onions, green thumb?

I am known for having a big to a black thumb. As in, everything I try to grow dies. I've tried to keep plants alive but have generally been unsuccessful. I don't know if I've never had apartments that lent themselves to plant growth or if maybe I'm just bad luck (I have to say that I'm leaning toward "user error" and that I just suck)...but if plants could run away, they would run away to me.

I can't remember where I saw it, but at some point in the last month I saw someone post that he or she was growing green onions. All you had to do was stick the "white end" into water and POOF, new green onions. I figured that this was a great low-cost experiment with plant growing and decided to give it a shot. I saved my onion butts, put them into water, found a sunny spot, and waited for the magic to happen.

indoor green house

And happen it did. The first picture was a few days into the first onions and that second one is from yesterday. The tallest of the onions has even been harvested once already. It has been kind of exciting to watch them grow and they have me wondering if maybe there is hope for me after all. Maybe I just needed to take a little interest in plant growing.

I have some clippings of some other plants that  friend gave me that I've managed not to kill so far...I'll be transferring them into an actual pot with dirt soon, so hopefully they will survive the trauma of moving day and I'll have real plants that I've "grown myself' soon. Wish those little plants luck!

How about you- are your thumbs black or green?

winter running- the good

I have been know to complain a lot about winter running. It is cold; the wind is not just annoying to run in, but it freezes you too; the snow and ice make you slide everywhere; and it is an ordeal to get dressed to go outside. Ideally, I would run in fall or spring-like conditions al year (clearly I live in the wrong place). The good news is- there is a bonus about winter running: it can be absolutely beautiful.

Yesterday was such a day. Though the wind was a little chillier than ideal for the first part of the run, the scenery was as peaceful and idyllic as could be. There had been a really light dusting of snow (that looked almost like soap flakes) so the snow was perfectly white and sparkly. The temperature overnight had been just right for the frost and snow to make the branches white without weighing them down.

it is hard to pretend you're running

Running along the river felt almost other-worldly. It didn't feel like we were "home" anymore. It felt like we had been transported to a quiet, far away place... The river was steaming, the whole world was white, and we enjoyed the beautiful part of the winter we usually complain about.

winter wonderland

Even though the footing was slippery and the layers were many- I'm glad I got to experience a winter run like that.

Happy Monday!

friendly competition: running camaraderie

In so many sports, the competition is the enemy. You go to battle on the field or on the court. Members of opposing teams trash each other or their girlfriends. Maybe it helps get players pumped up or doing their best...but is it really the image we need? Do you really want to look up (or to have your kids look up) to people who publicly insult others?

Maybe it is the lack of big money or big media attention- but do you know who you DON'T usually catch trashing each other? Distance runners (and probably most endurance athletes in general). This article by Runner's World reminded me of why I love watching and following distance running and runners (other than the fact that I like to run): Competition Can Be Kind.

(source)

It also reminded me of one of the things I love about participating in races. I can be in the same race as someone going for a world record or a course record or a national record...and not only do I not care that he or she is finishing when I'm halfway done, but I'm cheering him or her along. The last time I ran the Ottawa 10K, Deriba Merga was trying to break the world record (unfortunately he didn't), Rick Ball was trying to break the single leg amputee world record (he did), and since it was a "battle of the sexes" race where the women start first- the women were trying to run fast enough for the men not to catch up.

That year, the 10K route ran along both sides of the canal. As I ran along one side of the canal at about kilometre 3, I could hear a ripple of cheering and noise going through the crowd. As I looked to my left, I realized it was because on the other side of the canal, the elites were running by. We were all cheering for the people who were kicking our butts.

Yes, I realize that we weren't really all in the same race. We mortals were racing for fun or personal challenge while the elites were racing for money. But the camaraderie among runners is still there. That same race, a man came up behind me just as I was struggling a bit to maintain my pace, looked at my bib to find out my name and said "you're doing great Kristen" and ran beside me for about 15 seconds. I could tell he was trying to get me to "latch on" so that he could pull me along while I struggled.

In another race (a 5K in which I just had a terrible terrible race) a guy came up behind me when I slowed down and perhaps cursed myself a bit and said "no, you can't slow down- you were my muse- come on, let's finish this together." And my experience in Oka had another good moment with another runner (that time I couldn't keep up).  I love that feeling of "we've all been there" that goes on in running and in races.

(source)

Yes, there are jerks in every sport and there are great people with great sportsmanship in every sport (Jarome Iginla? Genuinely good guy from all accounts). But that Runner's World article and watching the video of Reid Coolsaet cheering on Eric Gillis as the announcer was counting down the seconds for Eric to cross the finish line and make the Olympic Standard will always warm my heart and make me smile.

Do you have a favourite example of sportsmanship?

11 randoms

Nicole over at Haute Runner has tagged me for the 11 Randoms- so here we go.


Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules
2, You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things about Me
 1. I think I have a purple problem. Lately I seem to be buying a lot of purple and it might be getting out of hand.
2. My big toes are really long. Perhaps freakishly so.
3. I pretty much have no fear of heights whatsoever. In fact, I kind of like them.
4. My favourite number has been 13 since I was about 13.
5. I have a hard time finding shoes that I like the look of on my feet.
6. I can't pronounce Zooey Deschanel's name like it is supposed to be pronounced. I have to add the extra "o" sound.
7. Dr. Phil bugs the heck out of me.
8. I never thought I would like poutine- but I do.
9. I have a talent for putting my foot in my mouth.
10. I really wish I could do a pull up. (though it isn't like I practice or anything- I bet if I started with a band I could work up to doing one)
11. I'm currently watching a commercial for American Idol and it is pretty much the lamest thing I've seen in my life. And I'm usually a sucker for cheesy things. 


Nicole's Questions
1. How many languages do you speak? What are they?
I speak English, French, and sort of Spanish. My Spanish used to be a lot better...but I understand it pretty well.

2. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Closest to the door or to the closest path to the bathroom.  In our bedroom, that would be the left side if I'm lying down.

3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Um...I guess a morning person? I definitely used to be a night owl but I'm definitely not one now. And since I like to start work at 7:30, I guess that makes me a morning person?

4. What's your biggest time waster?
Anything internet related. Twitter, facebook, blogs...too much time on the internet.

5. Mac or PC?
Mac- clearly Mac.

6. Can you drive a standard transmission car?
Yes. I learned on a standard and our current car is a standard.

7. Where did you go on your last trip?
We went to Calgary for Christmas. But our last trip that wasn't a visit to family was PEI. We loved it.

8. What's your favourite game (board or video)?
I quite like Settlers of Catan.

9. Did you play any sports growing up?
I played one year of soccer when I was really young. Then I played softball all through elementary school. In junior high and high school I played volleyball.

10. What's your favourite number and why?
Wow- without even reading this question, I talked about my favourite number in my random things. I think I like 13 because I find it funny that so many people find it unlucky and that tall buildings "skip" the thirteenth floor. Seriously people- just because it is called the 14th floor doesn't mean that it isn't the 13th...

11. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Hmmm....I really liked San Francisco. I would definitely live in the Bay area or the Pacific Northwest if I could. But since I like Canada- maybe just north of the border on the west coast?


My Questions
1- When you're in a job interview, what do you use as your "weakness"? (you know, the weakness that you can turn into a positive somehow) 
2- What is your favourite food?
3- Why did you start blogging?
4- If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go?
5- If you're a runner, biker, triathlete, or any other sort of racer, what race is tops on your bucket list?
6- What is your dream job? (pretending that it pays well)
7- Who is your celebrity crush?
8- Did you or do you play an instrument?
9- What is your favourite "guilty pleasure" movie? (you know, the one that you like to pretend you didn't love)
10- If you had to pick a last meal, what would you pick?
11- Ben and Jerry's or Haagen Dazs?


My 11 tags (and 11 is hard)
Karen at Toronto Girl West
Heather at My Life
Lara at the things i know
Laura at Live well, laugh often, run much
Marlene at Mission to a(nother) Marathon
Kristen at Run for Wine
Leigh at All you need is Love
Janelle at The Honest Truth
Kirsten at Lobbsters
Kelsey at More Adventurous (maybe you can just put together 11 outfits for us all to wear!)
Lindsay at Cotter Crunch

Phew! I did it! And if you read all that- good on you!

a hilly and chilly nine: winter running in montreal

Yesterday morning it was about -23 degrees Celsius. -30 with the wind chill. What was I doing? Running of course! The bad news was that it was cold and the wind made it feel really quite frosty. The good news was that I was armed with 2 running friends, I was bundled up, and at least it was sunny!
So looking a lot like this (after consulting this post to see what kind of layers I wore last winter when it was this cold)

an old picture- but pretty close to what i was wearing

 I set off to get some chilly miles in.

I tried to plan an 8 mile route (that's about 13km) because that was what we figured we wanted to run. But somehow we overshot a turn in the Old Town (which I guess is pretty easy to do with all the one way and small streets). I tried to plan a route with just a few hills. But somehow I forgot about one of them (and a big one). So what was supposed to be an 8 mile somewhat hilly run in the cold turned into a pretty challenging 9.2 miles (that's close to 15km) in the mostly sunny streets of Montreal.

The last hill (the one I forgot was so long) was the most challenging and I think we were all hurting by the halfway mark and pretty much everything was burning by the end- legs, lungs...it all hurt...but we did it. And I have to admit- I was pretty impressed I managed it considering my lack of long hills these days.

Something I had forgotten about with snowy running: my calf muscles take an extra beating. I end up running more on my toes in the snow. With the unstable footing, putting only half your foot down is easier and keeps you upright a little easier. All that extra work has left my poor calf muscles feeling pretty beat up- the footing has been terrible this week.

Thank goodness for compression socks.

yup- chilling in a hotel room in my compression socks

All in all- despite the frozen eyelashes, the frost forming on the sunglasses, the frozen solid scarf, and the frozen water bottles - it was a good run. Even if it did end up being a little long. (sorry ladies- my bad) I quite enjoyed my chilly and hilly nine!

What is your limit for cold when it comes to running?

photo on a friday- a vacation favourite

Both nephews kept us laughing this year- as usual. This moment we managed to get with the camera:

In his hands? A turkey neck. We were about 5 minutes from sitting down to Christmas dinner and he ended up with the turkey neck- much to his grandfather's chagrin (who wanted it for himself).

Yes- his shirt says "I'm pretty much one of the best people I know"

This is the same kid who just hours later was VERY unconvincing in his "eeewww....grosss" as he stared wide eyed at the swimming pool scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone go from lying on the floor slightly uninterested to standing as close as possible to the screen with a look of "this is GREAT" so quickly. Ah boys.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend.

i'm a running enabler and you can be one too

I like to think of myself as a bit of an enabler when it comes to running. I firmly believe that if I can do it, so can almost anyone (as long as you want to do it). If someone wonders aloud if he or she can run a 5K or 10K, I like to say "YES! of COURSE you can! and let me know what I can do to help make it happen!"

So with that spirit, you can imagine what my response was to this tweet:

Looking at the registration page trying to decide if I can get myself together to run the 10k instead of 5k for #Ottawa Race Weekend this yr
— Michelle C (@MSC_63) January 10, 2012

and to this one

Should I do the NYC marathon this year? I've never pictured myself running a marathon... Is training doable with a baby?
— Heather Brillinger (@mrsbrillinger) January 11, 2012

(for the record it was "do it!" for the first and "do it do it do it" for the second)

So do me a favour and go enable them as well. You can find Michelle here and Heather over here.  Go encourage them!

Selfishly though? Part of me wants Heather not to do Calgary (oh- I suppose you need to read her post to understand that comment- she's thinking of running the Calgary marathon in May as a "warm-up" for the NYC marathon in November), for me to win the NYC marathon lottery this year, and for us to both do the NYCM as our first marathon...together. Our first race EVER was together

first race: 10K

and the first time either of us ran a half marathon was together.

Covered Bridges Half success- we finished on our own two feet

I think it would be pretty awesome if we ran our first marathon together. But since that would rely on a LOT of luck, you need to go over to her post and encourage her to run. I think running the New York City Marathon would be awesome- I can't wait to go watch her do it!

Do you have a race on your bucket list? What race do you think would be as much fun to watch as to run?

runner's high

According to WikiHow (and they know everything right?) a runner's high is:

a term given to the feeling of euphoria that is induced by distance running. You don't have to be a world class athlete, or even a distance runner per se to experience this elevated state of mind. (source)

While I believe the runner's high exists, despite ending up grinning ear to ear post race, I'm not sure I've ever experienced one (perhaps I'm not following the steps in the wikihow article?).

blondie to my left is the definition of a runner's high.

I've been high on sugar, high on life, perhaps high on something else...but not high on running. That lack of runner's high may have ended yesterday. I can't be sure, because it could have been other things- but I'll put this out for your consideration:

It was January 10th and I was wearing capri pants on a run- definitely a reason to smile. It was January 10th and it was 2 degrees Celsius- a reason to jump up and down. It was January 10th and I had to take my gloves off part way through the run- just TRY to wipe the smile off my face! It was January 10th, the sun was shining, and I was running on my lunch break, and it was glorious. Not even a flash "granular snow" storm lasting about 5 minutes could dampen my spirits. It was warm, it was sunny, and I was - dare I say - euphoric.

So euphoric, in fact, that it is possible that the euphoria hasn't worn off because I'm willing to post this terrible picture I took of myself and sent to two friends with a message saying "Beautiful afternoon to get a run in! Do it if you get the chance!"

Go for a run!

So whether it was the sun (oh beautiful sun), the unseasonal temperatures, or the running- I was definitely high on life by mile 3 and decided to take the long way home in order to add a little extra to my planned 4. Plus, I managed to keep the pace to a sub 9-minute mile overall for the run. Not something I've been doing a lot lately! Definitely a great run.

So- what do you think- was I high on life or was that a runner's high? If you're a runner- do you get the high?

five things about me- part three

You can check out part 1 (from November) and part 2 (from December) if you wish...here comes part 3.

1- I really like cheese. Goat cheese, cheddar cheese, brie...but I HATE the mouldy cheeses. Anything with blue or green mould in it turns my stomach. I'm guessing that in the world of cheese, that makes me a non-cheese person. Meh- more of the other kinds for me if they want to eat the mould.

2- I have always wanted to live near the ocean.

PEI is surrounded by ocean...

3- Our first dance at our wedding was Coldplay's "Yellow." The first dance was probably one of my least favourite parts of our wedding (not because of the song). We considered not even doing it because the thought of standing there dancing while people watched made me want to run and hide.

4- I only have one magazine subscription. It is to Bon Appetit Magazine. We used to have a Runner's World subscription but decided that the online content was just as good...

5- I had a dream last night that I could touch my toes. Actually sit, extend my legs, and get my wrists past the ends of my feet. That's probably the closest I'll ever come to that feeling. I can't touch my toes...sitting or standing.

Tell me something about you.

photo on a friday- vacation at its finest

Two iPhone photos of two of the many things that made me smile over the Christmas vacation:

Wild Rose Brown- a great Alberta beer

Colouring with my niece. Who knew the Smurfs (or  les Schtroumpfs as I find it fun to call them) were back in?

One of these days I'll get my actual camera photos loaded onto the computer (and send the pictures to my sister that she's been asking for...).

What are two things that made you smile recently? And did you know that the Smurfs were back?

something you notice when you go back: calgary is full of trucks

While I don't like to propagate the vision of Alberta as a western hick place full of cowboys...some of it is true. I did indeed see a man in full cowboy gear- boots, pants, hat, and buckle - just walking down the street. But that doesn't happen too often (unless you're taking an early flight to from Calgary to Edmonton at the airport- for some reason you see a lot of belt buckles there) because in general, Calgary is a lot like most cities in Canada. Here's where Calgary differs from most major Canadian cities: the TRUCKS. Large vehicles are common, but the trucks are everywhere. And not just for cowboys.

A few days into my visit "home", I tweeted the following:

Something you don't see in Montreal: 6 trucks at the intersection. #yyc
— Kristen M (@Moultgard) December 26, 2011

We were in a Subaru Forester, which is not small, and we were the smallest vehicle at the intersection. As someone who normally drives a VW Golf, it was a little odd to feel so small in something so big.


It was really quite notable to see that many trucks on the road. It isn't something I'm used to here and isn't something we saw in Ottawa either. I'm told that the price of trucks is one of the reasons you see so many of them in Alberta. If you're looking for something large that isn't a minivan, a big truck with the big cab is about half the price (with similar features) of an SUV.  Sure, you may never USE the bed of your truck (except for when you go to IKEA or your friends with a Golf need help moving a couch), but you buy it because it is cheaper than the alternative.

Also cheap in Alberta? Gas. They were getting all up in arms about it going up to $1.07 per litre while we were there. The price of gas in Montreal when we got back? $1.32. $1.37 (as of 12:00 PM on January 5th)

Yeah- not having a place to park a giant truck isn't the only reason you don't see them as much around here. Filling our Golf is more expensive here than filling you Hummer (and yes, we saw a few of them) back in Calgary...

this has nothing to do with the post except that it was taken in Calgary- and i love and miss the Calgary skies.

If you've moved away- what is something you notice when you go back "home"? If you haven't- what have you noticed when you've visited other cities?

a scale that tweets

As I was flipping through this month's GQ magazine (looking for the cover story advertised as "our favourite sexy mormons") I came across a story called "How to Not Get Fat this Winter." In said story, there was a section about harnessing the power of shame.

Hello Mr. Damon. (if you read the story about him, you'll love him even more)

In order to lose weight, the author bought a tweeting scale. Yes, that's right...a scale that tweets. It connects to WiFi and any time you step on the scale, it sends your weight through the internets and your weight comes up on your twitter account. The writer felt that he needed to publicly embarrass himself in order to lose weight. And it worked.

In 3 months, he lost 12 pounds by making some diet and lifestyle changes. He hit the gym and cleaned up his eating because friends and co-workers could now follow his progress (or lack thereof) and even make snarky comments on the internet about it. He found the public broadcast to be the motivation he needed to make changes.

Back in the day, I lost about 15 pounds the old fashioned way: stress and poverty. I moved across the country, was planning a wedding, and was looking for a job all at the same time. So life was a little stressful. We were living on Jordan's grad school "salary" (definitely quotation mark worthy) and my savings until I found a job. So there was no money for extra snacks or dinners out. We didn't have a car- so I walked a lot. A few months later, my clothes were looser (probably too loose- I think I lost close to 20 at first) and I was definitely smaller. The challenge from that point on, was maintenance and finding a way to work healthy habits (such as exercise) into my life.

Although it was definitely a challenge, the maintenance and healthy lifestyle part has definitely gone well, but that initial weight loss part didn't really require too much "effort" on my part. It just sort of happened due to circumstance.

do you think it has a Facebook account too?

So I guess I'm curious- I wonder if the public shaming would work for me if I needed to lose weight. Would having my weight broadcast to the internet give me the motivation I needed to change my lifestyle? Would I go to order fries and think "oh wait, what will my twitter followers say if I gain weight or don't lose my 2 pounds this week" and then have a salad instead? Or would I just stop weighing myself at home or claim that my internet was broken?

Obviously it worked for this guy (good on you Jon Wilde) but I can't decide if I'd find it really motivating or if it would make me feel like crap. I kind of think it would work for me- at least for a little while.*

What about you- forgetting that it is $159- would you buy a tweeting scale? Would you fine it helpful or harmful?


*Edited to add:
I'm not thinking of buying said scale nor do I think I need to lose weight (on the contrary- I've lost some muscle mass as of late and would like to put some of it back on). I just wondered if I was in the position to need to lose weight, would I find it helpful or harmful to have my weight broadcast on the internet. It helped the author...who is a man. I kind of wonder if there is a gender divide here. Would more men be likely to find this helpful? In this case is the "shaming" more of a macho thing rather than the intense nastiness that can sometimes go along with body image and weight in the minds of women? Just something I was thinking about.

yoga on vacation

Before I left for my Christmas vacation, my body was sore from sitting in front of the computer far too much. Between writing papers and working, my desk and I were not getting along. I wasn't stretching enough, I wasn't moving enough, I was spending way too much time sitting and staring at screens. My legs hurt, my back hurt, my neck hurt...I was in a world of hurt.  While I knew that a massage would probably help, I decided that instead of laying on the table and having someone work on my aches and pains, I'd work through them on my own...on my mat.

And it was glorious. My muscles loved the combination of stretching and working and my mind loved the quiet calm of several yoga classes after a busy fall and during the chaos of the Christmas season. While I would have loved to have gone every day of my vacation (or even every second day), I made it as often as I could and truly enjoyed every second of it. The combination os a good sweat and a good stretch leaves me feeling refreshed every time.

A travel top tip- if you like hot yoga, check for Moksha yoga in the city you're travelling to. They usually have an introductory unlimited week or month pass for new students to each location or studio. It can be a great deal if you're planning on taking more than one class during trip. I'm guessing there are other yoga studios that do the same thing- so look it up!

And for a little peek into what else was great about being on vacation:

all pants should be soft

Happy New Year! I hope you all started 2012 off with something fun.
If you had time off, what did you do relax during your vacation?